Intranasal dexmedetomidine with morphine or tramadol: A comparative study of effects on alfaxalone requirements for anesthesia in cats

Vet World Vol.16 June-2023 Article-3

Research Article

Veterinary World, 16(6): 1201-1208

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2023.1201-1208

Kewvaree Hommuang¹, Nattika Koatsang², Suttiporn Srikullabutr³, Panpicha Sattasathuchana⁴, and Naris Thengchaisri⁴

1. Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon District, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand.
2. Surgery Unit, Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
3. Department of Companion Animal Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
4. Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.

Background and Aim: Intranasal (IN) sedatives provide a non-invasive route for premedication drug administration. This study compared the cardiorespiratory and sparing effects of IN dexmedetomidine combined with morphine (DM) or tramadol (DT) on alfaxalone requirements for anesthesia induction in cats.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-four cats were randomly assigned to three groups: Dexmedetomidine combined morphine (IN dexmedetomidine 20 µg/kg plus 0.2 mg/kg morphine), DT (IN dexmedetomidine 20 µg/kg plus 1 mg/kg tramadol), or control (no premedication). The intravenous dose of 1% alfaxalone for endotracheal intubation was recorded with sedation scores, cardiorespiratory parameters (heart rate and respiration rate), and side effects.

Results: Both DM and DT were associated with significantly higher sedation scores than baseline, and sedation scores were found to be highest 20 min after premedication. Sedation scores were comparable between DM and DT groups. Side effects, including hypersalivation, vomiting, and pupillary dilation, were observed in the DM and DT groups. The dosage of alfaxalone required in the DM group (1.5 ± 0.3 mg/kg) was comparable to that of the DT group (2.0 ± 0.6 mg/kg, p = 0.0861), and both groups required significantly less alfaxalone than the control group (3.0 ± 0.6 mg/kg; p < 0.01). Heart and respiratory rates were comparable between the DM and DT groups. Duration of anesthesia in the control group (11 ± 4 min) was significantly shorter than in the DM (29 ± 5 min, p = 0.0016) and DT (38 ± 14 min, p < 0.001) groups.

Conclusion: Intranasal administration of DM or DT produces good sedation and offers an alternative, non-invasive route for cats undergoing general anesthesia. Keywords: alfaxalone, dexmedetomidine, intranasal, morphine, tramadol.

Keywords: alfaxalone, dexmedetomidine, intranasal, morphine, tramadol.

How to cite this article: Hommuang K, Koatsang N, Srikullabutr S, Sattasathuchana P, and Thengchaisri N (2023) Intranasal dexmedetomidine with morphine or tramadol: A comparative study of effects on alfaxalone requirements for anesthesia in cats, Veterinary World, 16(6): 1201-1208.

Received: 02-02-2023 Accepted: 08-05-2023 Published online: 04-06-2023

Corresponding author: Naris Thengchaisri E-mail: ajnaris@yahoo.com

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.1201-1208

Copyright: Hommuang, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.